Using TiVo in Saudi Arabia?

[StheJedi]

Hi all - I am moving from the US to Saudi Arabia in the next two months, and wondered if I will be able to use my TiVos there. I will have high speed internet access and satellite TV. Any idea on whether Tivo will work based in TV signal differences, lack of guide data, or even just with manual time and date recording? Thanks,

StheJedi

[RonDawg]

According to Wikipedia, Saudi Arabia uses SECAM as their primary TV system, with simulcast in PAL-B. So the answer would be no as TiVo's sold for the North American market are only compatible with NTSC, as well as ATSC/QAM in the case of the Series 3 models.

Wikipedia says that PAL-B was used in the UK for UHF signals, and TiVo did sell some TiVo's there for a short while, so a UK-spec TiVo might be able to receive the channels, but of course getting proper guide data is something else entirely.

[rocko]

Hi all - I am moving from the US to Saudi Arabia in the next two months, and wondered if I will be able to use my TiVos there. I will have high speed internet access and satellite TV. Any idea on whether Tivo will work based in TV signal differences, lack of guide data, or even just with manual time and date recording? Thanks,

StheJedi

You'll be better off leaving it here in the U.S. if possible and look into a Slingbox.

[StheJedi]

You'll be better off leaving it here in the U.S. if possible and look into a Slingbox.

Sadly - I wont be able to leave a TV / connection here to sling across the world. Everything is either going in storage or on Craigslist. I didnt think I could get it to work, but just wanted to confirm from the community. Thanks.

[gastrof]

The OP said they were going to be using satellite as a source, not OTA.

If the satellite source can produce picture and sound on an American TV, that's a start.

The problem is getting a channel lineup and guide data.

Unless the satellite service is one TiVo has the details on, then it's hopeless unless you do some incredibly fancy hacks, which may even violate terms of service depending on what'd be involved.

TiVo DOES have some info on out-of-country TV, tho', for use by people in the military.

If this applies in this case....

Might help if we knew what TYPE of satellite service is being discussed.

It might also be useful to know what type of TiVo is involved.

(Oh...and there's also the matter of what type of electric power they have over there.)

[StheJedi]

The OP said they were going to be using satellite as a source, not OTA.

If the satellite source can produce picture and sound on an American TV, that's a start.

The problem is getting a channel lineup and guide data.

Unless the satellite service is one TiVo has the details on, then it's hopeless unless you do some incredibly fancy hacks, which may even violate terms of service depending on what'd be involved.

TiVo DOES have some info on out-of-country TV, tho', for use by people in the military.

If this applies in this case....

Might help if we knew what TYPE of satellite service is being discussed.

It might also be useful to know what type of TiVo is involved.

(Oh...and there's also the matter of what type of electric power they have over there.)

All good questions. From my brief visit there for final interviews, I will be living in a western compound, but unsure how western - ie, 110 or 220 power, satellite company, and manufacturers of TVs and type of signal, etc - all of which I had more time to find out. Definitely not a military compound. As for TiVos, I have a Series2 Humax 80GB DVD Recorder and a Philips Series1 60GB HDR612. I would probably only take the Series2 if anything.

[rocko]

From what I remember about my old DirecTiVos they got their guide data from the bird, not the phone/broadband connection. If that's still the case you might be OK - provided you can get a shot at the 101 and 109 satellites. The fact that you use an external sat receiver shouldn't matter.

[gastrof]

From what I remember about my old DirecTiVos they got their guide data from the bird, not the phone/broadband connection. If that's still the case you might be OK - provided you can get a shot at the 101 and 109 satellites. The fact that you use an external sat receiver shouldn't matter.


:confused:


The OP didn't say they had DirecTV.

They said they don't know what type of satellite service there is.

They also didn't say they had a DirecTiVo, but rather a Humax TiVo with DVD drive.

This TiVo would work very differently than a DirecTiVo would.

[rocko]

:confused:


The OP didn't say they had DirecTV.

They said they don't know what type of satellite service there is.

They also didn't say they had a DirecTiVo, but rather a Humax TiVo with DVD drive.

This TiVo would work very differently than a DirecTiVo would.

I stand corrected. A DirecTivo might be the answer then. My bad.

Edit: The more I think about it that probably won't work either - seeing that the D* birds won't be pointable from the other side of the pond.

Forgive me - I'm having a bad day.